Mother-daughter duo take the detox challenge for healthier living

Members of the first Detox Challenge group included first row: Brittany Coleman, Tonya Martin, Erica Ranieri. Second row: Kathleen Malone, Lauren King, Susan King and Rita Blanco, who participated in a portion of the program. Not pictured in Peggy Rhodes.

More than a month ago mother and daughter duo Lauren King, 31, and Susan King, 58, embarked on a 30-day Detox Challenge adventure, an adventure which has completely changed the lives of both women.

The two went into the challenge “for the weight loss,” Susan said, but found not only did they lose weight, but their lifestyle changes have made them “feel so good. It’s unbelievable.”

The program centers around eliminating processed foods including dairy, sugar, white flour, caffeine, alcohol, the two explain, or, Susan said, if you can “grow it, pick it, catch it, you can eat it.”

The diet includes organic foods like free range chicken and turkey, cold water fish and the like. They supplement the food with protein shakes and special snacks, but if individuals chose “you can do it without spending a dollar” on the shakes, etc. The foods are available at the grocery story, and “I went to the Farmers Market every week,” Lauren said.

But, both agreed one early morning last week as they sipped on their breakfast shakes, “they’re wonderful shakes.”

The program is the brainchild of trainers Nicole Wolfe and Megan Brubaker, both of whom are affiliated with World Gym. “We both use Megan as a trainer,” the two explain, “but this was more about health coaching.”

“I’m kind of friends with Megan,” Lauren said, and when Brubaker first described the program to Lauren, “I said no way am I doing this!”

At the time Lauren was not a member of the gym, but her mother was, and now Lauren, too, has joined the gym.

“I’ve never seen two people so dedicated to trying to change people’s lives,” Susan said of Megan and Nicole.

Brubaker, who has been a trainer for four years, learned about the detox program at a studio. “I worked at in Tampa, and I brought it back up here,” she said. A graduate of the University of Florida, she received her training educatin at the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Megan said it’s not all about the scales, because I was always about the scales” and weight loss, but through eating clean “all of a sudden” Susan’s clothes were loose, she said.

Lauren and Susan were part of a group of eight who participated in the first Detox Challenge, and the program has proved so popular that Detox 2 and 3 are now underway. Both women have completed their challenge, but they feel so good “we just decided to keep going.”

When they started the program Lauren moved back home for a month, and the two women shared cooking duties, preparing meals on alternate weeks.

The two women can’t say enough good things about Brubaker and Wolfe’s program. “I’ve never seen two people so dedicated to trying to change people’s lives,” says Lauren. Megan “gets it. She really wants to help people.”

Not only did they shed pounds — Lauren 17 thus far and Susan 10, but Lauren noted “my skin cleared up a lot.”

“I fought the fat battle all my life,” Susan said. “It’s a daily battle,” but the Detox Challenge made her feel “so good.” Through the years Susan has dropped more than 100 pounds, and “I’ve turned into an exercise freak.” She also beat cancer and she continues to push herself, she says, because “I appreciate each day I have.”